Puppy Love: why keep dangerous dogs?

BULL terrier breeder Norm Jessup dotes on his dogs like children. They sit on chairs beside him and nuzzle into his shoulders seeking affection while he sips a cup of tea.

These dogs once held a fearsome reputation with their sloped ''Roman noses'', sunken eyes and powerful jaws - attributes bred over generations for fighting bulls. He embraces his animals with a father's warmth.

Research has proven that in these tender moments dog owners produce a hormone called oxytocin - the same hormone which helps parents bond with their children. But experts, such as animal behaviorist Dr Linda Marston, believe this bond can blind owners to their dog's dangerous potential.

''It's like that rosy glasses effect,'' she says. ''People see their own dogs, generally speaking, in a much more positive light than other people might see them because they love them.''

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Researchers at Azabu University in Japan found that a dog's gaze is enough to increase their owner's oxytocin level.

And that feeling is probably mutual. Dr Marston says dogs experience similar feelings in the close company of their owners. ''When your oxytocin levels go up so do the dog's.''

Animal behaviourist Dr Linda Marston at home with her three dogs: Pixie, a German Shepherd-Kelpie cross; Ginnie, a Papillon-Jack Russell terrier cross; and Jed, a purebred German Shepherd. Photo: Paul Rovere

Jessup keeps his six dogs in a secure network of cages at his Pearcedale home on Melbourne's outskirts. He watches closely when he lets them out.

Jessup says the bull terrier breed has suffered from bad publicity and insists they are friendly and gentle. ''They are a strong-looking dog and I can imagine people being a bit scared. But their nature isn't that way unless they're in the wrong hands,'' he says.

Animal behaviour experts believe irresponsible owners of dogs with a violent heritage may be incapable of judging when their animal is a threat due to their close relationship.

The mauling death of four-year-old Ayen Chol by a stray pit bull terrier last year prompted calls to ban the breed.

State Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh said the dogs had ''lost their licence to exist''.

The state government introduced tough new legislation requiring pit bull owners to register their dogs. Councils can now seize and destroy restricted breed dogs including pit bulls.

Dr Marston opposes banning particular dog breeds but believes owners must understand the purpose for which their dog, including the bull terrier, was originally bred.

''They had to go in and hang on to a bull's nose even though it had a rampaging huge animal attached to the end of it until they brought the bull down by effectively suffocating it.''

Aram Vartanian owns three American Staffordshire Terriers, which are closely related to pit bulls. He is drawn to their muscular physique and ''beautiful '' nature. Vartanian rolls playfully in the grass with his dog Atilla while his two nieces watch.

He admits the dogs evoke fear in others. ''Sometimes I see people move away. I've even overheard a parent say 'don't go near those dogs they're dangerous','' he says. ''I just think they're misinterpreted.''

Vartanian says a balanced upbringing will produce a family friendly pet even though its ancestors were bred for fighting. He supports tighter scrutiny of owners because ''hype'' surrounding American Staffordshire Terriers attracts the ''wrong kinds of owners''. Police say intimidating dogs are used to project an aura of violence and intimidation. Brimbank Superintendent Graham Kent says some criminals treat aggressive dogs as status symbols and use them to terrorise people in crimes such as enforcing drug debts.

He has supervised investigations of dog attacks and instances in which vicious dogs were used as weapons. ''We sometimes see people walking around the suburbs with these dogs. They'll have their dog on display and they'll have their tattoos on display. It's a bit about a show of force and intimidation,'' he says. ''You can't help but think it might be a status symbol.''

Dr Marston agrees. ''There are certain parts of the community that may specifically want that behaviour,'' she says. Intimidating dogs are often associated with ''street cred''. Dr Marston says culture and fashion dictates which breeds are regarded as dangerous and this perception changes over time. German shepherds were once banned in Australia and Dobermans, Rottweilers and bull terriers have also had ''image problems''. In the US, pit bulls are considered the ''American national dog'' while bull terriers are now common pets in the UK.

Jessup fears ''incorrect publicity'' about bull terriers will result in them joining Victoria's dangerous dogs list alongside pit bulls. ''The bull terrier over the years has carried the tarnished name that it's an aggressive dog but it's not,'' he says.

Jessup and Vartanian insist their bull terrier breeds make great pets. But Jessup says owners and breeders should have to meet rigorous standards of education and safety. ''In the wrong hands any dog can be an issue,'' he says.

47 comments

I own a large Rottweiler and have 2 young kids - 3 if you count him. He's a big sook. If dogs of any breed are raised with boundaries, rules and proper socialisation, they will be well adjusted and no danger to anyone.

The emphasis is on the owners of any dog regardless of breed or size to ensure they train their pet, give them enough exercise and maintain a firm set of rules. There are far more bad owners than there are bad dogs.

Commenter

Big dog owner

Location

Vic

Date and time

January 14, 2012, 6:30AM

You do realise that every dangerous dog owner states that their pet is "loving", "gentle" and "great with the kids" - this is exactly what the article is pointing out.

In fact these statements are exactly the tired cliches trotted out by dog owners after their precious pet has violently mauled their own or someone elses child.

Commenter

dog-tolerator

Date and time

January 14, 2012, 9:07AM

I once owned a black Norweigian elkhound ( a male pup) and a female Chinese Imperial Dog . Both were quite sooky and their temperaments were quite different too. However they bonded together in a way that surprised me, and then actually vanished interstate. Iam not sure if they can breed though, but there is no species difference as far as I know, though if they breed there is no telling what their offspring will look like.

Commenter

Brutus

Date and time

January 14, 2012, 9:34AM

Big dog owner exactly. There are many bad owners and you can't control the owners so the only way to stop the killing and mauling is to ban the breed.

Commenter

Jane

Date and time

January 14, 2012, 9:57AM

Having a great deal of experience with many different breeds of dogs, it has been my experience that the most dangerous dog, and the one I am most careful around, is the Labrador. Then follows a number of small breeds followed by German Shepherds. I adopted my first Staffy last year. She is the most loving gentle dog I have owned. Adores children, kittens and baby birds. She is highly intelligent and well trained. We have quite a few in our area and all are extremely friendly. They are not friendly with each other necessarily, but that is mostly because their owners do not know how to socialise their dogs. The Staffy has not been in Austraia for long and is suffering the same fate that German Shepherds met when they were introduced, along with Dobermans and Rottweilers. Something new is something misunderstood and hysterically feared and polarised. Much the same as different nationalities as they migrate to this country. In time people will get over this. However, I do believe it should be illegal to breed your dog and sell it without a license and a blood test to prove blood line. Back yard breeding should be illegal. Most Staffies are not pure and are often bred with pit bulls. The Staffy is a challenge to own and should only be owned by people who have the time and the ability to care for them properly.

Commenter

JJ

Date and time

January 14, 2012, 6:39AM

It is all very well to state that all breeds can be aggressive, but you must admit that there are key physical differences (eg: size and jaw strength) in dog breeds that can determine how dangerous they are to humans and other dogs.

ie: I would be far more likely to survive being mauled by a poodle than being mauled by a bull terrier.

And you tell me you cannot understand this difference and the fear it justifiably causes in the community?

Commenter

dog-tolerator

Date and time

January 14, 2012, 9:16AM

Way to sh!t on a breed "the age". Most people who read the sun will see pictures of the staffies and automatically register them as a dangerous breed, much like the Ag Ministers comments "they have lost their license to live" What a jerk off. Staffies, both American and English are by far the most care free dogs on the planet. They are not aggressive, the love and lick everything and you have used these images irresponsibly and automatically linked them to being a dangerous breed. (And I am aware of the AmStaff is registered as a dangerous breed, but those images are not of the am staff).

Commenter

Staffy Owner

Location

GlenHuntly

Date and time

January 14, 2012, 9:35AM

"We sometimes see people walking around the suburbs with these dogs. They'll have their dog on display and they'll have their tattoos on display. It's a bit about a show of force and intimidation"

This summarises it. Why on earth would you get a dog that has a higher potential to be 'dangerous' when there are equally loyal/intelligent/playful dogs that DO NOT have the high potential for aggressive behavior. Its none other than to have a 'tough' dog - a superficial status symbol. The types of people that choose these dogs over another 'less tough' dog are evidence of this. Any shred of common sense would tell you this.

Commenter

Sam

Date and time

January 14, 2012, 6:42AM

Sam I so seriously object to your discriminatory view of people. I'm tattooed and therefore are you implying that anyone with tatts is a show of force and intimidation? Perhaps we're just an uneducated bogan as well who think we're tough cause of the dog on the end of our lead? I can assure you many of our friends in the USA who own and show Bull Terriers are High Court judges, doctors, lawyers, you name it so if they were tattooed would they be deemed as thugs? Breeders and owners here have respectable jobs and some have multimillion dollar businesses. To judge people on the basis of their looks is morally and ethically wrong. Your a fool and obviously one that has NO idea regarding any breed of dog. As for this oxytocin story, listen here sunshine I own a dog and am aware that my dog (all dogs) are capable of biting and I can sure as hell read my dog. ALL dog breeds have the potential to bite. As an owner of Bull Terriers for over 20 years we have enjoyed showing and breeding them and I certainly can comment on this. Certain breeds need the right owner we are aware of this but I for one am sick to death that the ill-informed can have their 2 cents worth without asking the experts about our breed. BREEDERS and CLUBS are experts on their dog breeds. Live them breathe them intimately know them.

Commenter

Bull Terriers lover

Location

Australia

Date and time

January 14, 2012, 7:12AM

To Bull Terriers Lover - you just don't get it, do you? There is no place in civilised society for violent animals such as bull terriers and pit bulls. Why anyone feels the need to own such dangerous dogs is beyond me.

You made a mistake by admitting that "certain breeds need the right owner". Why is that? What is so wrong with these breeds that they need specialist handling? If these thuggish dogs were as safe as you pretend, then they wouldn't need the 'right owner'. They would otherwise be fine for all families. But they're not.

I was walking my dog one day when a bull terrier (off the leash, as usual) charged at her, attacked her and started biting her. I managed to extricate her and was yelling at the irresponsible dog owner who commenced abusing ME and threatened to assault me as a result.